Marian Elizabeth "Betty" Daley

DALEY HARDIN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 3/5/2011 at 13:26:13

Sioux City Journal
31 October 2010

SIOUX CITY -- Marian Elizabeth "Betty" Daley died Friday, Oct. 29, 2010, in her apartment at the Holy Spirit Retirement Home in Sioux City. She was 95.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Jackson, Neb., with the Rev. Paul Albenesius as celebrant. Interment will follow at St. John's Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be 2 to 4 p.m. Monday in the chapel at Holy Spirit Retirement Home. Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Marian was born to the Hardin family in rural Yankton County S.D., the third of seven children of whom five survived into adulthood. Her childhood was spent in Wakonda, S.D., and later on a farm near the Yankton/Clay county line. She attended a country school through the eighth grade and later in life often said that it was pretty boring being the only child in your grade.

With the Great Depression setting in there was no money for attending high school. Marian hired out to a farm family near Beresford, S.D. The men of the family were hired out to other farms so she and the woman of the house together handled 15 milk cows as well as another 100 head of feeder cattle and hogs. She went on to become lifetime friends with this family.

She moved to Sioux City in 1940 when some friends of hers from Beresford let her know about a maid's job at the Sydney apartments. She worked there from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then worked the evening shift as a waitress at the Sydney Cafe until closing at 10:30 p.m. She later worked as a private maid for a prominent doctor and his family.

Marian married Joe Daley in 1947 and moved to the Daley family farm near Jackson, Neb. The farm was first established in 1854 and they lived in the five-bedroom house built by Joe's father. They raised their son, David, and daughter, Mary Helen, on the farm and Marian became a prolific gardener, raising and canning virtually every available type of fresh produce as well as raising and selling chickens and eggs.

Marian was deeply committed to the St. Patrick's Parish community and was involved with virtually every community event there including Catholic Daughters. She also led 4-H groups in sewing and cooking and later organized a group of women that traveled frequently to the Winnebago Indian mission to provide sewing services. She was well known for assisting families with making or tailoring wedding and bridal party dresses.

Joe Daley died in 1978 and eventually Marian moved to a smaller home in Jackson, where she operated a popular ceramics business while staying much involved with church activities. She moved into an apartment at the Holy Spirit Retirement home in 1993, where her prowess as a baker brought much joy to many of her neighbors at the home.

Marian was preceded in death by all of her siblings yet is survived by her son and daughter, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.